The good news is…

Gutenberg is actually getting easier to use. Feedback will do that. Feedback during the writing process, however, is another story. I suggest that while you’re writing, just do it. Don’t let anyone else actively tell you how to tell your story.

Instead read a lot and pay plenty of attention and over time you’ll understand how to better tell your story. Remember, you are the reader you need to satisfy first, and ultimately if you’re writing for no one else… you are your own audience and best/worst critic.

Speaking of storytelling, From Height to Height is now live at Medium.com, and it’s a useful bit of insight into one of my favourite characters from the novel I’m using NaNoWriMo to finish. It really has been a lovely community, and I’m grateful to have taken part so far.

Of course I have favourites! By the way, WordPress, next on your list needs to be language options, but I can scarcely imagine the kind of logistics nightmare that is going to be. The new editor is coming along nicely.

I could complain about contests that ask a fee for entry, but I won’t. Suffice to say I don’t trust them and never will. Too many websites and services out in the writing community make money on the promise and not the delivery. Self publishing has become lucrative for would be editors who charge .02 per word, and to me that reeks of scam.

Who are theses guys? Where are the testimonials? The editors and publishers screaming and crying praise for their hard won skills? There aren’t any, because that’s not how the industry works. Sure someone knows someone else, and a connection can go a long way, but in the end the talent to find and place a novel is as rare as the novel that becomes a multi-million seller.

That’s why I said you’ve got to write for yourself first. If you’re not happy with your work it will show.

Everything is going to discourage you: The amount of time in the day; market saturation; demographics; cover design; writing; the economy; politics, ad nauseum. Get used to being discouraged and don’t let it distract you from telling your story just the way you want it to be heard.

Don’t. Give. Up.

When you’ve accomplished the work you’ll have something no one can give you, nor can they take it away. Could it be that’s what the message was from Stan Lee?